Freeze, Spurrier two of a kind?

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier talks with reporters during the SEC football Media Days in Hoover, Ala., Tuesday, July 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Ole Miss Notebook from Media Days

By Parrish AlfordDaily Journal

HOOVER, Ala. – In Hugh Freeze’s second year at SEC Media Days, he found himself in lockstep with Steve Spurrier.

A year ago Spurrier, the South Carolina coach, was lamenting his difficult schedule. He thought his lot in life would be better had he been able to play the 2012 Rebels.

Freeze took a 2-10 Ole Miss team and went 7-6, 3-5 in the SEC.

In his time with the media on Tuesday, Freeze said he began wearing a visor during games as a high school coach because he wanted to emulate Spurrier.

When Spurrier took the podium, he was reminded about his Ole Miss comment.

“Last year at this time Ole Miss was 2-10. They’re a lot better than they were a year ago,” he said. “Hugh Freeze has done an excellent job there.”

Spurrier was then asked what he and Freeze had done in the last year to become such good friends.

“We have a lot of similarities. We both play golf, we both wear visors, we both call plays. How can you not like a guy like Hugh Freeze?”

Brassell doubtful
It does not appear that cornerback Nick Brassell will make enough academic progress this summer to play this fall.

Brassell played at Ole Miss as a freshman in 2011 but didn’t made the grades to continue his career in Oxford. He played last season at East Mississippi Community College. When he transferred back to Ole Miss, he inherited his original grade point average.

“I don’t feel good about it. It’s still not over, but I certainly am not real hopeful,” Freeze said.

Freeze has said Brassell has NFL-level cornerback skills.

His presence could be a big lift at a position that lost another player, walk-on Carlos Davis, when Davis’ six-game eligibility-related suspension was announced earlier this month.

In trying to create depth, senior Dehendret Collins and sophomore Quintavious Burdette have been moved to corner and freshman wide receiver Derrick Jones to safety.

Seeking consistency
Donte Moncrief caught 10 touchdown passes last year, but five of those came in the final two regular season games of the season.

His focus this off-season has been to become more consistent.

“I need to work on my craft. There were a lot of small things that I was doing wrong,” Moncrief said. “I could have run better routes. Those are things I’ve worked on. I got stronger with coach (Paul) Jackson, and every day after I work out work on my routes.”

The Rebels’ top receiver went four-straight SEC games – from Auburn through Vanderbilt – without a touchdown catch.